diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules.js b/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules.js
index 7921c486..a6732a9e 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules.js
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules.js
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ define(function(require, exports, module) {
             "variable.language": variableLanguage
         }, "identifier");
 
+        var functionRe = "(\\()([^)#]*)(\\))(\\s*)([\\-=]>)"
+
         this.$rules = {
             start : [
                 {
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ define(function(require, exports, module) {
                         "entity.name.function", "text", "keyword.operator", "text",
                         "paren.lparen", "variable.parameter", "paren.rparen", "text", "storage.type"
                     ],
-                    regex : "(" + identifier + ")(\\s*)(=|:)(\\s*)(\\()([^)]*)(\\))(\\s*)([\\-=]>)"
+                    regex : "(" + identifier + ")(\\s*)(=|:)(\\s*)" + functionRe
                 }, {
                     //play = ->
                     //play : ->
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ define(function(require, exports, module) {
                     token : [
                         "paren.lparen", "variable.parameter", "paren.rparen", "text", "storage.type"
                     ],
-                    regex : "(\\()([^)]*)(\\))(\\s*)([\\-=]>)"
+                    regex : functionRe
                 }, {
                     token : "identifier",
                     regex : "(?:(?:\\.|::)\\s*)" + identifier
diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules_test.js b/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules_test.js
index b8ac39c5..e1afa251 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules_test.js
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/coffee_highlight_rules_test.js
@@ -104,6 +104,17 @@ module.exports = {
         });
     },
 
+
+    "test: tokenize function(invalid code): 'foo:(args#) ->'": function() {
+        var tokens = this.tokenizer.getLineTokens("foo:(args#) ->", "start").tokens;
+        assert.equal(tokens.length, 5);
+        [
+            "identifier", "punctuation.operator", "paren.lparen", "identifier", "comment"
+        ].forEach(function(type, i) {
+            assert.equal(tokens[i].type, type);
+        });
+    },
+
     "test: tokenize function: '(args) ->'": function() {
         var tokens = this.tokenizer.getLineTokens("(args) ->", "start").tokens;
         assert.equal(tokens.length, 5);